Eragon and the Half Breed
by Arrieta Blodhalfa
Summary: It's been 30 years since Eragon and Saphira have left Alagaësia and have been teaching the new generation of Dragon Riders. Eragon is finally getting into the groove of things when Arya contacts him with a warning: Their next student is a bit strange.
1. Welcome to Breoal Abr Shur'tugal

"Even though you're not present for these negotiations, you're insight is most needed. Thank you, Eragon and Saphira for your words of wisdom."

The mirror went blank as Eragon released the magic holding the contact to Nasuada and leaned back in his chair, "I had no idea that recovering from a war would take such a long time."

 _Considering the fact that Galbatorix reigned for over a hundred years, it doesn't surprise me at all._ Saphira commented as she moved from her spot for the first time in an hour. _It takes time for the fear he built around the Urgals and the elves to disappear from human memories and Nasuada is doing an excellent job in reconnecting them._

"I just wish that I wasn't stuck here and could fly back to Alagaësia and knock some peace into the heads of some of those people."

 _I know you would Little One, but we're needed here to train up our new brethren. Besides, you barely belong there anymore with your powers._

Eragon sighed and got up out of his seat, heading towards his balcony, "Everything changes with time, only the elves, dragons and Dragon Riders seem to escape its relentless push."

He leaned on the railing that and looked at the growing city of Breoal Abr Shur'tugal: the home of the Dragon Riders. It had been over thirty years since he and his dragon Saphira had left Alagaësia in search of a new training ground for the new order of Dragon Riders on the restless waves of the ocean. He, Saphira, the Eldunarí and the elves that joined them had hoped to find the old homeland of the elves, Alalëa, but upon arrival, they had yet to see any evidence of any large city, village or dwelling place. This may have disheartened Eragon, more so for the loss of knowing where the elves use to live, but it didn't stop them from finding a suitable place for them to start building so that the first wave of riders had a place to train and stay at.

Dragon and Rider officially began teaching during the fifth year after they had arrived. Polic and his dragon Adres had spent the first part of their training with Queen Arya and her dragon in Du Weldenvarden before making the long journey across the sea and was soon joined by a few more around a year later. Teaching was an experience in itself. Eragon had to remember what his previous teachers had taught him as well as integrate the memories from the Eldunarí. At the beginning, he often thought that Saphira was the better master of her side than he for his side, the dragons held her in high regard and treated her as the jewel she is while Eragon was constantly bombarded by questions and alternative solutions by his pupils but he eventually got into the swing of things.

Eragon felt himself collapse in on himself, _It seems only yesterday and yet it's been over ten years since Polic and Adres returned to Alagaësia and we are now teaching six more with four soon to join them from Arya_

 _Strange thoughts to be having now,_ Saphira gently snaked her head out onto the balcony next to him, _Why has your mind gone all dark?_

 _You know why, you're connected to me constantly._

 _I do but you have to admit what you're thinking in order to sort out your feelings_

Eragon groaned, "I just can't believe that Nasuada is that old, nor any of my friends who aren't immortal. I still can't believe Ismira is married and that I'm soon to be a great uncle. I don't even look old enough to be a great uncle while Roran is already sporting greying hair and wrinkles just like Nasuada," He put his face into his hands, "my world is moving on without me, forsaking me to my endless task of teaching."

Saphira snorted, _A very melodramatic thought indeed. I would have thought you'd gotten over that since that time with the two guards. You are right in saying that your world is moving on because "your world" was a human life. Now that you are a Dragon Rider, you have left your old world and have entered a new one. The only reason you feel strange is that this world had been extinct for over a century and you have to revive it for the others who follow you. Give it some time, Little One, you are already making the lives of our pupils that much better because you have welcomed them into this new world with open arms and claws._


	2. A New Student Announced

Eragon smiled at his dragon, "I suppose you're right, as always."

 _I can't say that I'm always right, but I'm glad that your mind has cleared up. Also,_ Eragon felt amusement seep through their connection as she moved back inside, _Arya has been connected to the mirror for the past couple minutes, may I suggest you return to talk with her?_

The dragon rider blanched and ran inside, sitting down in front of his mirror where, sure enough, Arya Dröttning's face greeted him from the service. Though time had not been kind to his mortal friends, Arya still looked the same as she did thirty years ago when he had left to travel across the sea: the same long black hair that fell down her shoulders, timeless green eyes and graceful features greeted him. Eragon's heart still skipped every time they talked together, even though he knew that any love between them was doomed and crushed since his departure, but one could still hope…

"Atra du evarínya ono varda, Eragon Shur'tugal. Was I interrupting something?" Arya's voice sounded tired, as if something weighed on her mind.

"Atra esterní ono thelduin, Arya Dröttning. No, you were not interrupting anything, I just got lost in thought after talking with Nasuada about the recent uproars in the Wandering Tribes."

Arya's face darkened, "Those people need to learn that they cannot claim any right to come up with random laws just because one of their own is the queen of Alagaësia."

"You would think that would've been clear by her completion of the Trial of the Long Knives," Eragon grinned, "Though Nasuada is over forty, she's still as capable as ever."

"She is indeed!" Arya laughed, "Though you have to remember that you're that age too Eragon, you just don't look it!"

Eragon frown, some of his good humor gone with her statement as he remembered what he was brooding on a few minutes before, "The Wandering Tribes wouldn't happen to be the reason why you've called is it? If it is, I'm afraid to say that Nasuada will have more information than me."

"No, I already talked to her about the issue. I am calling to inform you that I sent one of my students ahead to you about three days ago and you should expect her within the next two days."

"Next two days?!" exclaimed Eragon, "I thought they were all coming at the end of summer. Have they all succeeded learning the basics of Dragon Riding?"

"No Eragon, I only mentioned one student. The others will still join you at the end of summer, Thalia and her dragon Btharna are the ones who are joining you in the next few days."

Eragon leaned back, not understanding, "Why are you sending her so soon? Why didn't you just make her wait until the rest are ready? There are plenty of things to do in Du Weldenvarden."

"True but…" Arya hesitated, "She's causing a stir among my people."

Saphira opened her eye and moved closer to the mirror, _Someone who can cause a stir within the Elves has to be an interesting person._

"What do you mean by 'stir'? Has she done something wrong?"

"It isn't something that she's done… It's her herself."

Eragon raised an eyebrow, "How is her being a dragon rider causing such a stir?"

"No, it's not that… She's a half breed."


	3. Half Breed

Silence fell upon the room as both Dragon and Rider processed what Arya had just told them.

 _What does she mean by "half-breed"? Does she mean this Thalia is like a mule?_

"Hmmm… Do you mean she's—"

"She is part human and part elf," Arya clarified, pulling her hands through her hair, "There aren't that many records of half-elves in our past, less than a dozen if I remember, and most of their stories end tragically. There hasn't been one for a long time so Thalia is feeling like a caged animal here and her dragon is a bit over protective." She slumped back in her chair and Eragon noticed the bags under her eyes, "I'm sorry for sending her to you without any warning but they were causing a lot of strain to me and Fírnen while training them and I didn't have enough strength to connect to your mirror until today. I had to give them a few Eldunarí in order to make the trip to you and to get some more experience for those dragons."

"It's fine Arya, what's done is done. I'm sure that I can figure out where she is in her training and go from there. Saphira and I are ready to take on anything these two can throw at us," Eragon leaned forward and nearly touched the surface of the mirror before remembering that it was just projection and not actually her.

Arya sighed with relief, "Thank you Eragon, I'm glad to hear that. Please contact me as soon as you're able when they arrive." She bowed and released the spell, leaving Eragon alone with his reflection.

Saphira let out a puff of smoke, _Well this is an interesting situation: a half-breed Dragon Rider._

"I had no idea that our deal with the dragons would extend to half-breeds." Eragon slumped back in his chair again, trying to connect dots, "Do you remember me reading anything about half-breeds?"

 _There was a part that dealt with it while you were looking up relationships between humans and elves during our first time in Du Weldenvarden. I recall that most are born all white with red eyes and are typically shunned by both races, sometimes resorting to coloring their hair and skin to look somewhat normal. They have trouble identifying with either race and typically keep to themselves._

"So there is a possibility that Thalia isn't used to working with people which could be a problem for me," Eragon grinned at Saphira, "I'm sure that Btharna will be a piece of cake for you since you know all about being over protective."

Saphira growled, _I'm sure that Thalia has a better idea of what is dangerous than you do._

"I hope you don't actually think that."

 _I would like to think that too. But listen Eragon, this person is in the real crisis of living between worlds only it isn't just being a Dragon Rider, it's been her reality for her entire life. Thalia probably feels like she can't belong anywhere thanks to her heritage and has now been kicked out of the Elven kingdom, I don't think Btharna will be that easy to control after this._

"That is a problem." muttered Eragon, rubbing his face with his hands. He got up from his chair and began to walk towards the door, "I guess we should tell the others here that she's coming and prepare her a room."


	4. Du Huildar aber Mor'ranr

To say that Breoal Abr Shur'tugal is a city is a bit of a stretch. There were only forty occupants (the majority of which being elves) living in the city and only ten of those being dragon riders. Arya, Nasuada, Orik, Nar Garzhvog, and Eragon decided to allow elders of the different Dragon Rider nations to come and be a spokesperson for their kind but there were some of the immortal race who wanted to live in relative solitude. Eragon and Saphira now flew over the small city on their way to the Rider's meeting house to conduct what had to be done about Thalia and her dragon.

Eragon reached out his mind, contacted the other Riders and gauged what they were doing before saying, emMeet in Du Huildar aber Mor'ranr within the next half hour, there are things to be discussed

Du Huildar aber Mor'ranr was the largest structure within Breoal Abr Shur'tugal. Eragon had wanted a meeting place for the resident Dragon Riders and their dragons to meet in comfort so he and the elves constructed a marvel even when compared to Dwarvish standards. The entire structure was contained in a huge, magically grown tree that was hollow on the inside with multiple large curved alcoves in the surrounding walls that looked down onto a large center stage with seats bordering it. The ceiling was composed of branches that were sung into place among pieces of stained glass that depicted one of each of the races concerned with Dragon Riders: An elf holding a flower, a human holding a basket of goods, a dwarf in battle armor, a bare chested urgal with huge horns and a dragon in the center of the two legged peoples. The project itself took over twelve years to finish even with the help of the elves and dragons. Eragon was very proud when his students arrived and started to help with the construction, even giving some much-needed improvement to his original design.

Saphira hovered over the roof Du Huildar aber Mor'ranr and slowly decended as Eragon cast a spell, ordering the roof to open. Silently, the stained glass split and retracted into the building, giving Saphira a clear shot to the center stage. They noticed the purple scales of Uther already in one of the alcoves as they glided down. Eragon hopped off Saphira and was greeted by Uther's human rider Galahad.

"Master!" the young man bowed to Eragon, sweat dripping from brown hair and dripping into blue eyes. He talked fast in between gasps, "I ran here as soon as you contacted us! Uther was already here so I took a little longer than I would've liked but here I am! What's wrong? Was there an attack from the Wandering Tribes? Is there a need for us? What's happening Master?!"

Eragon chuckled, Galahad was the youngest dragon rider here, only fourteen years old, so it didn't surprise him when the questions started, "No, Galahad, nothing is wrong, just some news from Arya Dröttning but thank you for your promptness."

Galahad deflated, "Oh… I thought… Well, that's good. Sorry for my brashness, Master."

 _I told you that nothing was wrong_ , Uther's childlike voice chimed in both their heads, _If there was actual trouble, Master Eragon would have given us more information._

"Oh shut it you!" shouted Galahad, turning red from embarrassment.

"You did well Galahad, responding as you did to my call," Eragon butted in before the two could start bickering. "However, Uther is right in saying that if it were important, I would've asked all of you to come here sooner and not in a half hour."


	5. The New Age Riders

After a half hour, all the resident Dragon riders and their dragons were in their respected seats or alcoves. Eragon looked around at his students, some of whom he hadn't seen for a few days due to independent studies.

Keira sat next to Galahad, kindly listening to the fourteen year old's rambling while her grey dragon Aeliana quietly snored in a small alcove. Next to them were the two Kulls Balok and Vag, both comparing notes on the long history session they had with the urgal spokesperson Kluv, ignoring the strange antics of their dragons, the maroon Ether and light blue Vera. Behind them, the dragons Dras, Hal-Furish, and Stijn watched their Riders (purple, dark green and burnt orange respectively), the elves Alanna, Evander and Laethera as they went through the motions of the Rimgar. The only dwarf rider present at Breoal Abr Shur'tugal, Dwalic, sat on top of his golden dragon Zen cleaning polishing his scales with different tools and cloths. Eragon's eyes finally fell on the other two human riders Kamaria, gently brushing the long hair of Xavier, their dragons Xervern and Bellatrix intermingled in a mass of violet and silver.

Eragon shook off the feeling of longing bubbling from inside of him and addressed the crowd, "Thank you for coming here so fast my students. Before continuing with this meeting I would like to put any minds at ease and tell you that my news has nothing to do with the Wandering Tribes or any form of attack on Alagaësia."

"I figured as much, Ebrithil," Balok's deep voice vibrated through the hall.

"Just trying to put minds at ease that's all, Arya Drottning has contacted me with some news: We're getting a new student in the next few days."

 _What?_ Aeliana stirred in her alcove, her head now facing the center stage, _Were we not told that the next batch of Riders would be here at the end of this summer? None of them could have enough training to make the journey even in the company of a thunder._

"With respect Aeliana, he said 'student' not 'students'." Evander sat down next to the Kull, "For some reason, Arya Drottning is sending one here alone."

 _Even worse if that is the case!_

"Please you two," muttered Xavier, lifting his head off of his lover, "Eragon-vodhr is the one with the information so let him speak."

Eragon nodded and continued before anyone else could interrupt, "I had the same thought while talking to her Aeliana but Arya provided her with some Eldunarí so she should be fine. The new student's name is Thalia and her dragon is Btharna. Arya has sent them ahead due to interesting circumstances." He hesitated, a thought having occurred to him. _Maybe it would be better if we just leave out the fact that she's a half-breed,_ he said privately to Saphira, _get them use to her and then let Thalia tell them when she's ready._

 _You can't keep this a secret from them_ , Saphira's voice resounded in his mind, _This is something that will cause problems later on if kept quiet. Maybe that's why Arya was having such a hard time with Thalia, maybe Thalia didn't know she was a half-breed until later in her training which caused the uproar in Du Weldenvarden. Or maybe she is pure white with red eyes, then you would have to explain her situation on the fly and why you didn't tell them in the first place._

 _I don't like marking her before she gets here._

 _It doesn't matter, she's already marked for life and that's something she has to live with. This is something we have to help her through, to help her accept it, and they are the first people who could potentially help her in healing years of abuse and hatred from both outsiders and herself._

"Ebrithil?" Keira's quiet voice brought both masters back to their students, "What do you mean by 'interesting circumstances'?"

"Well…" Eragon made his decision, "Thalia is a half-breed."


	6. Interest

"What's a half-breed?" Galahad didn't fully understand the silence that had followed Eragon's reveal so his question was understandable.

 _It's a being that is created from two different race._ Responded Saphira, _In Thalia's case, she is a person that is part elf and part human._

"Oh… and why is she coming here before the others?"

"Well, because of who she is, she's causing a commotion back in Du Weldenvarden and Arya Drottning thought it wiser for her to come here to train."

"Why would that cause such a commotion?" the young boy wrapped his arms around his knees, "She's probably normal like the rest of us."

"Galahad, there hasn't been a recorded half-breed in Alagaësia since Yany Hljödhrgarjzla and she made Angela the Herbalist look sane." Alanna turned her eyes to Eragon, "Did Arya Drottning provide anything else about Thalia and Btharna or did she only have enough power to contact you for a few moments?"

"We only talked for a few moments, she informed me that they would be here within a few days and the situation surrounding them. I think Arya thought it may be better for us to determine Thalia for herself without any outside opinions."

"I'm interested to see what kind of person this Thalia turns out to be." Vag's eyes brightened at the idea of the half-breed. "Does she lean more towards the elven side or human side of herself? If she has children, how will they look? Did she have magic before she became a Dragon Rider? Does she have the abili—"

"And this is how we scare her away and never learn anything about her, Vag-vodhr." Interjected Keira, "The poor thing probably has already been asked those questions by some very rude people. We need to make her understand that she's safe with us."

Vag lifted his chin towards Keira, acknowledging her statement, "It is not my intention to make her feel uncomfortable, just letting the pursuit of knowledge get ahead of me."

Vera's chilling mind swept into the conversation, _We should keep those questions back, Vag, until we figure out Thalia's mental state. It is quite possible that her time with elves and humans may have scared her to the point of pulling down mental boundaries around herself._

"Exactly," Eragon reasserted himself, trying to bring the meeting to a quick close, "Please try to make her feel at home and build her trust up so that we can start to teach her our ways. I would like Kamaria, Keira and Galahad to prepare a space for our new students, somewhere close to my quarters if you don't mind, I want to keep an eye on her for the first few months."

 _I wish Arya Drottning could have at least given us a better idea of what Thalia likes._ Bellatrix's bright voice chimed in their heads, _There is nothing better than a homey room to make someone feel comfortable._

"You'll just have to make do, I'm sure that you all can figure out something nice and maybe change it when she comes." Eragon looked at his students, making sure they saw that he was taking Thalia and Btharna arrival very seriously, "This is a step into an unknown and we need to be prepared for anything they throw at us."


	7. Prepare for the Unknown

The next few days were spent in a strange dreamlike state for Eragon. Not only did he have to prepare for a new student on such a short notice but he hadn't taught the basics of Dragon Riding ever since he and Arya decided to split tutorship. Glaedr was a huge help to Saphira but Eragon had reach back in both their memories to remember how both Brom and Oromis had taught him during those desperate times fighting Galbatorix and his armies.

 _I really do take Arya and her elves for granted._ Thought Eragon to Saphira who in her sunning spot on top of their quarters while he scanned the notes he had taken during the past two days at his table on the ground, _It's hard to go from teaching complex ideas for thirty years to having to go back to simplistic concepts that I'm tempted to contact her to ask her how far Thalia is in her training but that would be irresponsible of me to use the energy._

 _I would assume that they know enough to make the tr-_ , Eragon felt the dragon stiffen, _They're here, I see them._

 _Really?_ Eragon dove into her mind until he could see what she could.

 _There, the white glittering object. I can also sense Agaravel within their saddle._

Eragon returned his focus to his body and ran to the balcony, _We have to direct them on where to land. Have you tried to contact any of them?_

 _There is no need Eragon-vodhr,_ Agaravel's contact with his mind reminded Eragon of their time together thirty years ago, _it would be rude of me to not greet the Reviver of Dragons. Saphira has informed me of the clearing and I have instructed Btharna of its location, though it is hard to miss from here_

 _We shall meet you there Agaravel-vodhr._ Eragon cut off his connection with the dragon and began to run toward the clearing as Saphira flew overhead from her position on the tree. He had not even run twenty feet when he began to be contacted by the inhabitance, each asking if they should join them to greet the new Rider and dragon but he encouraged them to stay behind. He did, however, privately contact Keira to be nearby his quarters to lead them to their new home once he leads them back.

Saphira was already at the field when Eragon arrived, though Btharna was still far away.

"Have you been able to talk with Btharna or Thalia yet?"

 _No,_ Saphira's mind moved slightly with unease, _Btharna is keeping to himself and will not let me in until he lands and Thalia…_ Her mind moved again, making Eragon aware of confusion, _I cannot sense her mind. I know she's there because I can see her and her life force is strong but it's as if her mind isn't there._

Eragon snapped his head up to look at the white dragon, who was now beginning to land and reached out his mind. Sure enough, he could feel both dragons' minds, Agaravel questioningly opening her mind to Eragon's touch and Btharna's mind behind a wall of concentration, but Thalia's mind was nowhere to be observed. _That can't be possible, there should be something there._

 _And yet there is not,_ Saphira sat on her hind legs, preparing to greet their new students, _I wonder if this has anything to do with Arya's reasoning for sending her away to us._

Eragon wished he could continue the conversation but it was then when Btharna decided to land and approach them. The dragon wasn't like anything Eragon had seen thus far, though Saphira would say that he was always floored at the diversity of dragons in general. Btharna was a blindingly opal white, rainbows flitting across the smooth service as moved towards them. His white eyes moved around, taking in the scene before him, finally settling on the two before him. He stopped a few feet in front of them before bowing his head, revealing a thickly cloaked rider on his back who began to unstrap the leg restraints on his saddle in order to climb down.

Eragon felt the young dragon touch his mind wall and allowed him access. Btharna's mind was slightly tinted with fatigue as he addressed both Eragon and Saphira, _Atra du evarínya ono varda_ _, Shur'tugal and Skulblaka. Am I to assume that you are our new masters or shall we be meeting the Ebrithi later on?_

"No, you are correct. I am Eragon Shadeslayer and this is Saphira Bjartskular." Eragon turned his attention to the figure who just jumped to the ground. "And you must be Thalia."

As the figure bowed and removed her heavy clothing, Eragon eyes widened at Thalia's appearance. Just like her dragon, her skin was pure white.


	8. Thalia and Btharna

Thalia was like no person he had ever seen. He had assumed that Thalia would look different because of Arya's action but he couldn't have imagined the strange mixture of normal and peculiar. Thalia looked almost like a Shade with the exception of her jet black hair which was braided into a crown on her head, revealing a pair of pointed ears. Eragon tried to sense her aura again but could only feel the life around her, it was like the creature before him was just an apparition but she clearly cast a shadow and the plants bent under her weight so she was physical.

As her red eyes met his, Eragon had a flashback to his first encounter with Durza and a shudder ran down his back, following the scar that use to mar his body.

Eragon shook off his discomfort and bowed, "Atra du evarínya ono varda, Thalia. Welcome to Breoal Abr Shur'tugal: the home of Dragon Riders."

"Atra esterní ono thelduin, Eragon Shadeslayer." Eragon could barely hear her soft voice as she bowed, "Thank you for taking us both in on such a short notice."

"It is my pleasure, I'm always happy to have a new student to teach. Are you tired from your journey?"

"I am not so tired, we took frequent stops along the way, though Btharna should eat before getting some rest."

"Doesn't surprise me. I will have one of our students escort you to your new living quarters and her dragon will take Btharna somewhere to get food." Eragon reached out his mind and contacted Kiera, asking her to come to them.

Thalia bowed again, "Thank you Ebrithil, you are most kind." She reached inside her coat and pulled out a cylinder, handing it to him, "Queen Nasuada told me to hand you this and to contact her as soon as you have an opinion."

"Thank you, I will." Loud flapping announced the arrival of Aeliana while Keira bounded across the field, stopping next to Eragon, "Great timing Keira. Meet Thalia and Btharna, the new students."

Keira bowed in the Elven fashion, "Atra du evarínya ono varda. I am Keira Ravendaughter and this is my partner Aeliana. Your quarters are already prepared which I can take you, Thalia, while Aeliana shows Btharna the hunting grounds. Does that sound alright?"

Btharna looked at his rider, who smiled and said, "You should go. I'm sure Keira will ensure that I get there without getting lost."

"That is a very real concern here," commented Keira, "but not to worry, you'll get the hang of it soon enough." She gestured with her arm, "Do you want to run or walk?"

"I would love some exercise."

"Running it is then!" and with that, the two riders ran off towards the center of Breoal Abr Shur'tugal.

Eragon smiled, Keira did a good job of introducing herself to Thalia. His hope was that the levelheaded Keira would be Thalia's touchstone to life in the city and Aeliana's mother-like nature may help with Btharna's overprotectiveness, though there wasn't any signs from the young dragon that indicated that behavior.

 _Shadeslayer,_ Eragon became aware that Btharna hadn't left yet and was rumbling deep in his chest, _You may be a great Rider and perfect to train her but I can sense the movement in your mind._ _Thalia is no Shade, do not treat her as such or I will do everything I can to protect her from your mind._ And with that, he flapped his wings, joining Aeliana in the sky.

 _Well,_ Saphira snorted, _I don't know what Arya meant by over protective but that hatchling is taking it to the next level. Did he just threaten you if you treated her like a Shade?_

"I think so," Eragon smiled at her, "Though we both know how I deal with Shades."


	9. New Demands

_What is in the cylinder Eragon?_

Eragon blinked as he remembered the object that Thalia had handed him, "I don't know but let's find out shall we?"

 _I wonder if it has anything to do with the comment you made in the last meeting with her_ , Saphira

He peeled back the wax seal bearing Nasuada's insignia at the top of the cylinder, revealing a tightly wound piece of paper. Taking it out of the cylinder was annoying but he eventually got it out and read the following:

 _Eragon,_

 _I have just come from interviewing the Half-Breed Thalia before she leaves to meet you in Breoal Abr Shur'tugal. She is a strange development in the relationships between elves and humans in regards to the romantic side of the relationship. This opens a door that we were not prepared to deal with, though it has been some time since the opening of relations between humans and elves, we cannot encourage such relationships without knowing its consequences. Normally, I would've gotten answers from Elva but she says that she can't feel anything from her and my mages cannot find her aura in their minds eye. The one bit of information that I did get was from Angela the Herbalist (who, by the way, we thought was dead until she shows up the day Thalia arrived on her dragon) who told me was that the amulet that was around her neck must have some sort of spell on it, though she couldn't tell me what the spell was for._

 _There are too many questions that cannot be answered without talking to Thalia directly and she bats away questions with silence. Even Arya didn't know that much about her than the few stray mentioning from Thalia herself. I don't like being kept in the dark, especially when it comes to something that revolves around the wellbeing of both the human and elvish race. As your liege lord, I order you to get as much information from Thalia about herself as possible. No matter what the cost is, the safety of future generations and relations between us is more important than someone's feelings being hurt._

 _Please inform me of anything you discover,_

 _Nasuada_

Eragon sighed as he rolled up the letter, "I figured that she was going to demand that."

 _And what are you going to do?_ Saphira lowered her back, allowing Eragon to leap onto her back, _I'm sure that there have been plenty of people who tried to talk to Thalia but it sounds like they haven't gotten anything from her._

"I'm not surprised that she is a mystery. Btharna is pretty overprotective of Thalia which makes me think that she has a history of being misunderstood and overanalyzed by people to the point of needing that protection once she became a Dragon Rider and needed to get into the public eye in order to get the help she needs." Eragon leaned back as Saphira took off, "I do agree about needing to know more about her, specially her inexplicable ability to hide her aura. However, Thalia is first and foremost my student, my mission as a teacher is to ensure that she gets the tools to survive as a Dragon Rider. Also, I never appreciated being prodded and poked back during the war so why should I put her though something that could be potentially even worse than what I went through. We'll see how she feels tomorrow and then we can decide what to do."

 _You're becoming very wise little one._

"Yeah… Funny how thirty years of being the teacher to the next generation of Dragon Riders changes you."


	10. Welcome Home

Keira looked at Thalia as she took in her new living quarters, curious to see how she would evaluate her hard work over the past two days. The tree was usually reserved for ailing humans who requested to live out their days in peace so Keira and Kamaria had to widen the floor plan in order to make room for Btharna. The downstairs was furnished sparsely: the typical table, chairs, cabinets, couch, and fireplace, allowing Thalia to decorate as she pleased.

"What do you think of it, Thalia?"

Thalia blinked and then looked at her, "It's lovely, better than some of the places I've lived, thank you."

"Honestly? I'm glad! Galahad was going nonstop about painting the walls and adding more color but I'm sure you wanted to add your own ideas to the walls."

"Who is Galahad?"

"Galahad is the youngest dragon rider, he's a spunky fourteen-year-old." Keira laughed, "He wanted you to feel welcome at your new home."

"Really? It will be a pleasure to meet him and to thank him for his consideration for me."

"Yeah…" Keira studied Thalia. The young rider's face was a blank, nothing really registered in her eyes either as she continued to glance around her new quarters. _What is going on in her head? Is she really telling her honest feelings or just being formal? Normally I would determine her emotions by seeing her aura but I can't with her, it's missing for some reason._ Red eyes met her blue ones, causing her to flinch, _Shoot, that surprised me! How could I do that to her, flinching like that?! I have to make something up as to why I was staring at her so rudely._

Her eyes fell on Thalia's long black hair, "I'm sorry for doing that! Your hair is so lovely and done up so well, I couldn't help but stare!"

"Thank you, you're kind to say so..."

Silence reigned.

"Umm… Do you want to go upstairs and see if there's anything you need?"

Thalia nodded and as she left, Keira cast out her thoughts to Aeliana, _Please tell me that you're nearby._

 _Btharna and I just left the feeding ground. Please don't tell me that you did something to Thalia in such a short amount of time._ Aeliana growled as Keira recalled what happened, _How could you do that after how we agreed to not to! We're coming as soon as possible, where is Thalia right now?_

 _Upstairs, seeing what she's going to need. I'm really sorry but there's something wrong with the way that she was looking around at the room, I couldn't tell what she was thinking so I was trying to read her face but then she turned and it was a shock to meet her red eyes with mine and-_

 _Enough! Don't make her feel even more unwelcome than you already have and ask her what she needs, we'll be there soon._

Keira sighed as she started up the stairs, _Yes Mother, I'm sorry._

The upstairs, which was normally furnished with a small table, bookshelf, bed alcove and a small balcony, now had a gentle concave and a wider balcony to make it more accessible for dragons. Thalia was standing near the bookshelf, staring at the wall.

Keira came up behind her, not surprised at what she was looking at. When Breoal Abr Shur'tugal was constructed, Eragon had given free range to the magicians and elves to create living quarters. The original designer of this room was a human who used musical instruments to perform her magic and the only decoration was a verse next to the bookshelf:

"'Hōrna eom du vanyalí, malthinae aí alalëa fōdhr oth du tuatha abr ástar un atra thäet taka ono. Vaetna du mïnen abr du orr ebrithil, vergarí du threyja abr du eyddr fjandi.'" Keira smiled tentatively at Thalia, "'Defeating the Silent One' was Madame Adria's favorite song so she decided everyone who lived here should learn at least a line from it."

Thalia's eyes met hers again, their red depths betraying nothing to her, "I've never heard it before."

"Really? Then, if you would like, I can ask Alanna to sing it for you, it's beautiful."

"… Maybe," Thalia looked up, "They're here."

Wind gushed through the window as first Btharna then Aeliana entered the room from the balcony. Btharna crawled up to his rider and looked at the wall with the verse as Aeliana fixed her eye on her rider, _You didn't do anything else to make Thalia upset, did you?_

 _No,_ _I only offered to ask Alanna to sing 'Defeating the Silent One'. Thalia hasn't asked for anything yet._

 _Have you asked her yet?_

Keira sighed, _No, I was going to ask her but I didn't want to break her concentration on the vers—_

Btharna turned his head to them, causing the two to guard their thoughts as he extended his thoughts to them, _When will we be able to have a tour of Breoal Abr Shur'tugal?_

"I'm sure that Master Eragon and Saphira will give you one tomorrow afternoon after your meeting with him. He says to take your time in the morning and rest properly tonight because he needs to determine your new training program. Your breakfast will be provided in the morning downstairs but we would like you to join us in the dining hall tomorrow night so you can meet the rest of the inhabitants." Keira smiled at Thalia, "They're very eager to meet you both."

 _I'm sure they are._ Keira shivered at the slight edge in Btharna's mind as he put a wing around Thalia, _We do not require anything else from you. Thank you for the welcome and we bid you a good night._

Keira bowed, "It is our pleasure. If you think of anything you need, just reach out for us. Good night."

As she hopped onto Aeliana, the dragon commented, _You know that I'm taking you to Ebrithil and you're going to tell him about what happened in there._

 _Yeah… I know._

Translation for the Silent One verse:

Listen to the Magic, confine an alalëa marked with the tempering of love and let it take possession of you. Dispel the injury of the mad master, kill the desire of the empty.


	11. Revelation

Eragon heard a light knock on his door early in the morning as he shifted through essays written by his students. Upon opening the door, he found Thalia waiting as still as a statue, clean and dressed in the special tunic the elvish ambassador had made for her.  
"Thalia, you're here a bit early, come in!" Eragon opened the door wider and allowed the female to pass through, "I thought you were going to take advantage of the morning to rest and recover."  
" _We did Ebrithil_ ," responded Btharna from the ground, " _the trip would've been tiresome if it hadn't been for the constant supply given to us from Agaravel._ "  
"Ahh," Eragon gestured to a chair, making sure that Thalia sat, before going over to open the huge double doors to his balcony, "Agaravel is very kind indeed and that makes it a lot easier on us so we can begin both of your evaluations. Btharna, there is room up here for you since Saphira left with some of the other dragons to do training."  
As they waited for the dragon to join them, Eragon busied himself by cleaning up his desk and pulling out a clean sheet of paper. Thalia sat perfectly upright in her chair, focusing on his every move with such an intensity that made him almost blush from the attention. With a gust of wind, Btharna entered the room and was soon settled next to his rider comfortably.  
"Let me take this opportunity to once again welcome you to the city of Breoal Abr Shur'tugal, the training grounds of the New Age of Dragons. It is here that myself, Saphira, numerous Eldunari and ambassadors of different races will give you the tools you will need when we send you out as a Dragon and Dragon Rider of the Peoples." Eragon paused for a moment, looking gravely into their eyes, "This is what I would like to say to you two, but I have no idea what your training is!" He smiled as he felt Btharna's confusion through their link. "Arya caught me off guard when she announced that you two were coming and it's been years since I've gone through any evaluation of my students. I'm sorry that this may be a bit unprofessional but I'm going to evaluate you the old way: Memory Search. So, if you _could—"_  
 _No._  
Eragon paused, looked at the dragon and knew what was brewing within his crystal eyes but still asked, "What do you mean by 'no'? You have no idea what I was going to say."  
 _No, I cannot allow someone to root through Thalia's memories as if they were a book._  
"I never said that's what I was going to do Btharna, all I want is—"  
 _Everyone wants the same thing from her, even if it's by force._  
"You're just going to have to trust me, all I want is her training memories, that's all. She can pick and choose which she shows and noth—"  
Can't you just ask her what she's done? Wouldn't that be easier?  
"There are some things that she may have forgotten she has in her memories, sometimes you just can't recall those with it."  
But you can begin teaching her based off of what we tell you and then if she remembers you can move on.  
"Btharna," Eragon's voice became a bit testy, "You're going to have to learn to trust me and let me do what I know is best and easiest for me and you, sparing us from potential months of repetition."  
 _We have months._  
"You may, but I have twenty other students to teach other than yourselves. It takes a lot to go back and forth between basics and advanced techniques and I may end up messing up material with you that may be dangerous." Eragon looked at Thalia, who was looking at her hands, "Thalia, all I'm asking is access to the memories that contain your training, I promise to be gentle and to stay only to those mem—"  
 _Her training is full of heartache and loneliness, you wouldn't understand how that feels and will get curious like the rest of them_  
"Btharna, I know you're connected to Thalia and know how she's feeling but you really need to let her decide."  
 _I'm the only one she talks to, I have a good idea how she's feeling right now._  
"Yes, I understand that…" Eragon stopped, noting what the dragon had just said. "You have a good idea what she's thinking right now?"  
 _A very good idea of what—_  
"Btharna, I need a moment with Thalia, you're going to leave right now."  
 _What? No, I stay with my Rider!_  
"You're hindering my evaluation of my student so I need this time with her."  
 _You can't—_  
"Yes I can, as your Ebrithil I can even force you out of this room, so choose your exit."  
Btharna hesitated for a second, looked at Thalia then growled before leaping out of the room.  
he room grew heavy after he left at Eragon looked at his new pupil, who continued to stare at her hands.  
"You don't let Btharna into your mind, do you?"


	12. Guarded Mind

Thalia continued looking at her hands, allowing the tear that slid slowly down her cheek to answer Eragons question.

"Why don't you let him into your mind?"

Another tear.

"Thalia, the connection between a Rider and their dragon is the most important part of the relationship. It may seem scary at first, especially if you're unused to magic, but it's something that we treasure. You not opening your mind to Btharna is like putting a gag on a human, preventing them from speaking and your partnership has turned into the relationship between a man and his animal, which a dragon is not."

"I know Btharna isn't an animal, he's my friend." She wiped her face, "We did share thoughts when he first hatched and those were wonderful times…"

"And?" Eragon prompted, "And what? What made you stop communicating with him?"

"He was just so young! He didn't know how to deal with everything that was happening…!"

"You need to be more specific than that. Is there a reason why you won't let me or anyone else into your mind or was that something that Btharna was saying because you wouldn't let him into your mind?"

Silence.

Eragon leaned back into his chair, looking at his new pupil with a steady gaze. Saphira's concern touched his mind briefly, though it wove in and out of images that she was passing on to her students but he waved her off with a small reassurance that the situation was under control and a promise to talk to her properly later. If Thalia was just another Dragon Rider like the rest, there would be only small repercussions because of her breed because of the multiple races that now make up the group. There was something that was being kept from all of them, something that was hidden away behind her unfeelable existence. Her erased existence reminded him of the note that Nasuada had sent and Eragon glanced at Thalia's neck. As the note had said sure enough, there was something hanging from a leather strap that was hidden by her elvish shirt.

Curiosity burned in his chest as the silence continued but for some reason, the memory of his first training lesson with Oromis where they sat together in silence for hours invaded his mind. Eragon remembered the patience that his elven master had with him and with a sigh, he pushed any exasperation he had and closed his eyes. The darkness provided him a space to organize everything he knew about Thalia and Btharna, helping him to figure out what to do with them. After coming to a suitable conclusion, he quickly passed it by Saphira, who agreed with his decision.

"Thalia, you don't have to say or do anything until you want to." Thalia's head jerked up at the sudden sound of his voice, "I understand that trust needs to be built, even between master and student." Eragon got up from his chair under the confused watch of the red eyes and walked over to the door of his study, "Your privet lessons will begin once I have a better understanding of what you've been taught but since you aren't comfortable with people in your mind, you shall join one of the other Riders which will probably make you feel more comfortable." He opened the door, "I expect you here tomorrow afternoon right after the noonday meal."

Thalia got up out of her chair and slowly walked towards the door. Before exiting, she turned to him, "Who am I sharing lessons with?"

Eragon quirked a smile, "With the one person who desperately wants to meet with you: Galahad."


	13. An Argument

Keira watch in bemusement as the normal chatterbox Galahad tried to seriously follow Master Eragon through the Dance of Snake and Crane, proving to some degree that he could be a proper Dragon Rider when he wanted to. However, his seriousness couldn't hold a candle to the indifferent face and fluid motions of his new study partner. Thalia followed Eragon point for point as he twisted through the Rimgar, showing that her off a decent part of her agility to all present.

"How long do you think it's going to last?"

Balok, Vag, and Dwalic were sitting at the same outdoor table as she was, finishing various transcripts that were due to their Culture Master while their dragons sunned lazily in the noonday heat.

"I don't know honestly," Keira winced as Galahad fell down when he failed to regain balance in the difficult middle of the dance, "He's extremely determined when he wants to be, he's done it before during the Hórna Maela for almost an hour so it's possible he could do it again."

The dwarf chewed on his pen, "He'll probably break in a few minutes. His mind is wondering which is causing him to mess up."

"I bet differently," chimed in Vag, "I think he'll be distracted by something and start laughing, he always does."

"And what are we betting?"

"Loser gets the winner a beer."

 _Well, I think—_

"I'm going to stop you there Zen," interrupted Keira, "Dragons are not included in this bet. If there's something I don't want to do, it's rolling a barrel of beer if a dragon wins."

 _If we're not included,_ said Vera, lifting her blue body off the ground, _Then it doesn't matter if I do this._

Moving until she was just within eyesight of Galahad, Vera got up on her hind legs and proceeded to follow Master Eragon's instructions for the Rimgar. A dragon on its hind legs is a hard sight to miss even when engrossed in a task, so it didn't take long for the already easily distracted Galahad to notice what was happening in his peripheral vision. Slowly, his face started turning red as he tried to contain his laughter at Vera's exaggerated movements. The containment was short lived and Galahad fell onto the ground in a giggling fit.

Master Eragon, not knowing what was happening behind him, rushed towards his student in concern. After realizing what Galahad was doing, he turned to face towards the still posing dragon, an eyebrow cocked, "Vera, if you wanted to join us you could've told me. Your antics are distracting my student."

The dragon collapsed on her four paws again, _No Master, just proving point and winning a bet for someone._

"Ah. Well, if you're done with the bet, please allow us to finish this in peace."

Vera bowed her head and went back to her spot in the sun, _It seems like Keira and Dwalic owe Vag a beer._

"I'm calling foul play on that win but I'm going to take it, though I'm going to get something without alcohol because I don't approve of drinking this early in the day."

Dwalic got up, "In that case, I'm coming with you because I'm not going to let you ruin Vag's win with a refusal to beer."

The two got a bit of distance before Dwalic commented, "And I thought elves were the least emotional race. It seems like this Half Breed isn't capable of even acknowledging something is funny, not even one smile throughout that whole thing and I thought that was the best thing that's happened since Galahad accidentally drank Faelnirv."

Keira glared at him, "And this is why I don't approve of alcohol, poor Galahad was in bed for a day with hangover. Also, Thalia isn't probably use to this environment. It's hard going from serious elves to the strange dynamic of Breoal Abr Shur'tugal with the mix of races."

"Thalia has been here for almost two weeks now and has made no attempt to sit at the main table or talk to us, even the elves asked our names before going on with their preferred state of eternal calm. She has a knurlnien, a heart of stone, and there is no good reason for that here. Her dragon is making more of an effort than she and he's a "

"She's a very young Dragon Rider and the first half breed anyone has seen in a long time, there's probably something going on in her mind that she isn't able to reveal or only reveals to those who she can trust. We have to trust Master Eragon and make her feel at home, which I am willing to do and everyone should too."

"There's a difference between doing what Master Eragon says about making her feel at home and becoming a Knurlaf desperate for attention. She is at home, we've done everything we can and the only thing she's ever done is nod at our generosity."

"I don't think so. I also think that you're judging her too soon. Master Eragon has a reason for pairing her up with Galahad and hopefully, we can get her to open and join us. All we can do is be with her and listen to whatever she has to say."

Dwalic stopped as he turned to look her in the eye, "I'm not interested in helping someone who isn't willing to help herself, I don't attend what you humans call 'pity parties'." And stomped away

The human yelled at the retreating figure of the dwarf, "You have no foundation to that comment Knurla Dwalic! There's a difference between pity parties and helping someone who might have experienced a traumatic past!"

"Nithgech ana eta zeitmen akh formv menknurlan! Thardsvergûndnzmal jurgencarmeitder akh dômar otho!"*

"Get back here and say that to my face! Dwalic! Master Eragon said we need to support her and support I'm going to do even if she doesn't like it and you need to, you Knurlhiem!"

Keira stood rooted to the ground in disbelief, not fully understanding the dwarf in both his reasoning and language as he continued to march away. This completely came out of nowhere and seemed like it went against the dwarves usual love of guests. _Thalia needs support and gain more trust for those around her. We just need to wait._

 _Do you really think that waiting will work?_ Btharna asked.

*There is no honor for this unstone one! Counterfeit Dragon rider for weak faith!


	14. The Dragon's Side

Keira winced as Btharna's voice lanced through her mind. The white dragon always entered minds and talked with such a mental barbed point that most shied away from him in order to protect themselves.

"Why shouldn't it? Most people start to open up when they feel safe and have someone they trust. That dwarf is wrong in giving up on her but that his fault. I think that Thalia is a beautiful person and I am ready to go to the moon and back for her!"

 _Thalia will take a long time to come around._

Keira raised an eyebrow at the perched dragon, "That may be, but I'm sure Thalia will open up. If I knew a would help if we knew a bit more about herself. What if you told me about your relationship and how you came together, maybe I can better my interactions with her."

 _We don't need a human rooting around our past,_ growled Btharna, showing some fangs, _There are too many people trying to-_

 _Be kind small one,_ butted in Aeliana, her voice muddled with sleep. _You don't have to share anything if you don't want to but don't snap at someone who is trying to genuinely help your rider fit in._

Btharna's head snapped this way and that so often while Aeliana was talking that it confused Keira until she realized that he was looking for her partner. "She's not here Btharna, she's taking a nap in our tree house but must've felt something through our connection and came to my defense."

 _Is she privy to our conversation through your mind?_

"Of course! That's the first rule of Dragon Riding that we all learn: To always keep a mental link with your partner. My connection with Aeliana is just the same as yours with... Thalia..." Keira trailed off, remembering her first meeting with Thalia and something clicked, "Btharna, can... can you not feel nor enter Thalia's mind like the rest of us?"

He glared at her then snicked his eye shut, _That is true._ He admitted.

"But why?! That must be pure torture for you! How long has this gone on for? Have you even talked with her?"

 _Near the very beginning, we use to be linked all the time, but that's none of your..._ Keira tensed mentally as she prepared for the barb that was about to come but was surprised when the young dragon flopped down on the ground next to her and huffed out black smoke, _Really, Aeliana is right, why am I fighting someone who's trying to help. This is the longest conversation I've had with someone._

 _Our partnership was... doomed from the very beginning. My egg was delivered to a very remote village near the bottom fork of the Spine, the closest city being Kuasta. Its main purpose is to provide refuge to trappers so it's not a very large but it did have its own school, main hall, and whatever else humans create to stop bickering amongst themselves. I was entrusted to them with the specific instructions on what to do if I were to hatch. I assume my egg was passed from house to house, being kept for a certain time with each person before moving to the next, hoping that I would hatch for one of them. I actually remember hatching very well due to the fact that Thalia tried to push me back into the egg, but since the Dragon Rider pact is sealed by touch, I ended up tumbling out of my egg while she was distracted by the shock. We shared a few moments of just staring at each other before a lady and boy, maybe her son, walked into the room and the lady immediately started screaming and shoved me into her son's arms. A man came in and he tried to reason with her but he ended up just following her as she dragged Thalia into the next room. I didn't see her for the longest amount of time, but I could feel her mind and, at moments, numerous other minds inside her mind. During the moments when her mind was her own, I would send the memory of our first meeting over and over again because it was the happiest memory I had. However, the more time went on, the more minds invaded her and pain started bleeding through our connection and it just became too much for my young mind and she started closing off parts of her mind to me protect me. One day, her mind was gone, literally couldn't feel it anymore and I cowered in the cabinet that they kept me in. I thought that she was dead and I started roaring and growling, trying to get our of the cabinet to try to find her when the man from before opened the door with Thalia in his arms. He explained what he could to me which was: Thalia was in a bad state of mind and he gave something to her to help her heal, that we needed to head northeast to the elves who could help us and that we couldn't trust anyone until we met Queen Arya._ Btharna shook his head, _Once Thalia woke up, she insisted that we leave and we stuck to that man's advice for the almost two years it took us to find Ellesmera, communicating like man and beast._

Keira leaned back, trying to understand what was just revealed to her, "So this man gave Thalia something that prevents us from feeling her mind but that gives her security from other people... Why were people entering her mind? What were they trying to do? Why didn't the man suggest you wait for the Egg Carrier?"

 _I have no idea, you would have to ask Thalia. Sorry I wasn't that useful._

 _"_ Thalia is the key to a lot of information." Keira looked at Btharna and scratched behind his jaw, "however, you did reveal to me the reason why Master Eragon paired Thalia with Galahad."


	15. Galahad No

Galahad peeked over his book at his silent study partner, questions buzzing in his head. He was bound and determined from the very moment Master Eragon announced that Thalia and he would be partners that he would do everything in his power to be the professional Dragon Rider Master Eragon knew he could be. The first week wasn't that hard on his constant need to question but the more the weeks dragged on, the more Galahad had to apply self-control as he became comfortable with Thalia's presence.

 _What do you think they mean by-?_

 _I'm going to stop you right there,_ interrupted Uther, _this is the seventh time you've tried to ask me a question and I can't help you because I'm with Master Saphira today. Ask Thalia if you have any questions, she's your study partner for a reason._

 _Yeah… but…_ Red eyes met blue and Galahad blushed furiously as he ducked behind his book again, _I think that I annoy her._

 _If you keep glancing at her like that, it probably does_

 _But-!_

"What's bothering you." Thalia's low voice caused Galahad to jump, "You look like you have a question."

Galahad blushed, "N-n-no, just wondering about something…"

 _This is a good opening, use it._

 _Noooooooooooooooooooooo!_

"What were you wondering about?"

"Umm…" Galahad's self-control broke as his face got redder, rubbing is right palm furiously, "Why is this Surdan queen called 'a terrible beauty'? What does that even mean? Does it mean that she's terrible at being beautiful? Then why not just call her an average woman? Do people even use that turn of phrase?"

 _What sort of question is that?_

 _Shut up! This is why I didn't want to ask her!_ Galahad peeked over his book at Thalia again. Her face was blank as she just stared at him, _Nooooooooooo! She must think I'm a complete idiot!_

 _To be fair, you are a fourteen-year-old human,_ mused Uther, _I hope she wasn't expecting Elvish philosophy to pour from your lips._

 _Didn't you say you were too busy to help me?_

 _Yes, but this is far more interesting now._

"Your question is a hard one," Thalia's quizzical comment caused the young Rider to look at her in shock, "I guess I've always known what it meant but have never had to put it into words before."

"So… It wasn't a bad question?"

She shrugged, "The only bad questions are those that are left unsaid."

 _Don't let that go to your head young one. I, for one, think that some of your questions are stupid._

"A terrible beauty is someone or something that has caused or is a tragic event but has a strange beauty to it that attracts people to it. Like a house on fire perhaps or a beautiful woman who strong and powerful."

"Ohhh." Galahad continued to stare at the female, rubbing his palm as he became lost in the revelation revealed to him. "So you would be considered a terrible beauty then."

 _GALAHAD SONOFNONE!_

The young rider snapped into reality and immediately started apologizing, "I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking! Please forgive me for my careless comment! If there is any way I can make it up to you, I'll do it I swear!"

"Then explain why you said I was a terrible beauty."

"I don't know!"

 _Galahad Sonofnone you better give her a proper answer or so help me I will leave my lesson, pick you up and scrub your absentminded self in the Vrangr Lake so that you will never forget this moment._

 _Help me!_

 _No,_ snorted Uther, angry amusement radiating from his mind, _you're going to have to learn to do this at some point with women, better start now._ And with that, Uther blocked his mind, leaving Galahad alone with his thoughts.


	16. Middle Ground

Fear comes in many forms. For Galahad, his fear just manifested itself in the situation before him: a mad female who he was supposed to be study partners with.

 _Why do I get myself into these situations?_ Thought the fourteen-year-old as he tried to rake his brain on why he called the very intense Thalia a word he still had no idea what it's connotation was. _Oh boy, she's not going to let this one go, is she…?_

"I-I didn't think that being called a terrible beauty was a bad thing… From what you said, it seemed to me that it was something you would say about…extraordinary and beautiful people… I guess… I thought it was a compliment…"

"To ordinary people, it's a compliment," Thalia's voice was cold, "But to those who are out of the ordinary, it's only a reminder that we'll never fit in."

"Oh…" Galahad rubbed his palm harder, "I guess that does make sense… "the ordinary strive to be extraordinary only to discover that the ordinary was extraordinary."

"And who told you that?" Galahad could hear the contempt dripping from the words

"Master Eragon," the young Rider shrugged, "We had a whole talk about it after I became a Dragon Rider."

"Interesting, does Master Eragon give that talk to everyone?"

Galahad hesitated, unsure of what he could talk about, "… No, he gave that talk to me shortly after I arrived here… You might get a talk because you're an exception to the rules just like me."

Thalia frowned, "What do you mean by 'an exception'?"

 _You really know how to word things, don't you?_

 _I thought you had left me to fend for myself in this situation… Uther Varden…_

 _I did say that but I'd never disconnect my mental connection with you._

 _Well, aren't you nice…_

 _Yes, I am, now quit stalling and answer her before she gets even more offended._

 _I was until you interrupted me!_

 _Well, then ignore me and get on with it!_

Galahad sent a mental glare to his dragon before answering her, "What I mean is that usually, Riders study with the elves in Du Weldenvarden for five years to gain the basics and then fly over here to complete it with Master Eragon, which is usually another five years. However, according to Master Eragon, you were sent in on Dröttning Arya's request to begin your training here, so you're an exception."

"And you're an exception because…?"

"Because I'm what Master Eragon is calling an 'Inherited Rider', Uther was my father's dragon."


	17. Inherited Rider

_You really have a knack for confusing people._

 _Please,_ moaned Galahad, _just shut up._

 _And leave this awesome set of circumstances? No thank you! I haven't had this much fun since you drank Faelnirv. Just look at her face!_

 _And you're supposed to be my elder?_ Galahad looked at the strange mix of emotions playing out on Thalia's face. The strongest emotion was confusion, which alternated in between surprise and maybe a touch of awe? The fourteen-year-old wasn't sure of the last emotion.

He took a deep breath, "Umm… Let me explain. My father, Alistar Dariusson, was killed during a surprise attack when I was four. Uther decided, instead of becoming a Dragon Master, to forge a new Dragon Rider vow with me so that I would be looked after. I remember there being a huge debate about Uther's decision and he was almost punished for it by Queen Arya but Master Eragon came to my aid and requested that I come to Breoal Abr Shur'tugal to do special training while he finds some way to include me in the Rider's Blessing. I've been here for six years with Master Eragon and Aeliana being my sort of stand-in parents while I'm here."

Silence.

 _I think I just confused her even more…._

 _Ya think?_

 _Well, what was I supposed to do?! Just leave it?_

 _That might've been the better option._

 _Then why didn't you sa—_

"So… You and Uther just trust each other… Even without the formal Rider Bond?"

Galahad nearly missed the quiet question that came from the female. He pondered it before answering, "I guess it helps that he had known me for all my life. I'm almost like a regular Dragon Rider, except for two things: I don't have the expected lifespan of a Rider and I don't have the Gedwëy Ignasia."

"Then where did you get that mark on your palm that you keep rubbing?"

"Oh…" the mentioned hand was quickly thrust under the table, "That was my own doing… And the actual reason why Master Eragon gave me the 'ordinary or extraordinary' talk. I had decided to give myself my own mark when I was nine but it turns out that saying 'Mark me with a Shining Palm' results in a very painful burn and a near-death experience," Galahad closed his eyes, "I wish I hadn't done it now, having an empty palm would've reminded me better of how lucky I am that Uther was willing to risk the death of his Rider again just to give me a legacy to uphold. Because of that, I would trust him with my life even though we aren't a complete Rider and Dragon yet. I should also thank Master Eragon for stepping in for us because neither of us would've made it that far by ourselves, you know what I mea—" Galahad opened his eyes to find that Thalia wasn't in front of him anymore.

He glanced around the library, _How long had she been gone?!_

 _That is an excellent question._

 _Why didn't you tell me that she left?_

 _Because you seemed like you were enjoying letting your thoughts out…?_

Galahad flopped on the table, _What did I do wrong?!_

 _Besides the entire conversation?_

 _Why can't I do anything right? Now I'm going to have to explain to Master Eragon why Thalia won't talk to me anymore_. Cold fear ran down his spine, _I forgot that I wasn't supposed to tell anyone about those things! He's going to kill me!_

 _There's no need to explain, Uther let me in on the conversation when it started,_ Master Eragon's mind waltzed into Galahad's like a cool breeze, _And that last statement of yours might be a bit extreme for me to do to you._

The burst of emotions that rolled from Galahad caused his master to laugh, _It's fine, Galahad, I expected this to happen. Though I must admit that I'm rather impressed how long it took for you to break considering the circumstances._

 _You knew this was going to happen?_

 _Of course, you're a young person with a secret near another young person with a secret. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you that I was planning to use you like this but I think that both you and Thalia are better for it, I will make it up to you._

Galahad looked up, hope in his eyes, _Does this mean that I'm not in trouble?_

 _… For this time, yes, but don't make a habit out of telling secrets and I still want you in my office._

 _I'll take that over being killed any day,_ Galahad got up from the table, _By the way, why did you use me like that?_

 _I'm hoping that you and Thalia will be able to heal your pasts together._


	18. Anger and Confusion

Late afternoon sunlight streamed through the double doors into Eragon's office, causing all its contents to acquire a golden hue. This was Eragon's favorite time to meditate and open his mind to the nature of Breoal Abr Shur'tugal, renewing his energy and mental state before starting his evening one on one lessons with each student. With each breath, his mind expanded, his singularity becoming blurred among the plants and animals.

His mind wonder, basking in the plants love of the sun until he became aware of a strange sensation coming from his body. At first, he tried to ignore it, but it was so persistent that it ripped his oneness back from the many and rudely jam it back into his body. Annoyed, he opened his eyes and was greeted by the projected face of an equally annoyed Nasuada from his Farseeing mirror.

"Lady Nasuada!" Eragon got up stiffly from the ground and bowed, "It's been a while since we last talked, how did the negotiations go?"

"They went as well as could be. But that isn't the reason why I am here: what is your update on the half-breed?"

Her sharp tone took Eragon aback, causing him to furrow his brow in confusion, "Unfortunately, we don't know any new information on her besides what Btharna has told us thanks to Keira's friendship with him."

"Eragon, it has been a over month since you gave me that and you still haven't gotten any more information from the half-breed herself?"

"Well, Vag thinks that she dyes her hair, but besides that Thalia has yet to open up about her past."

The queen sighed with disgust and rubbed her temple, "You are letting precious time pass through your fingers as you sit there while you could be trying to open her up to telling us vital information."

"What? What do you mean by 'precious time' and 'vital information'? Those are words used in times of war… We're not in a war, are we? What's goin—"

"No, but we need to have information about half-breeds as soon as possible so that we can prepare for any more that come our way. Alagasia is changing as the races intermingle again. Who knows when the next half-breed will turn up and how are we going to deal with it?"

"Nasuada, you're making Thalia into a much bigger problem then she actually is. Even if another half-breed turned up outside your door tomorrow, what good will any information that we gain from Thalia going to be?"

"It is the difference between diving into the unknown and having something to hang on to."

"That is true, but that difference is not enough for me to try to pry information from my student as if she was some war prisoner. We have to be gentle and wait for her—"

"THAT DIFFERENCE IS SOMETHING THAT I NEED TO KNOW NOW!"

The two leaders looked at each other; one crimson with pent-up emotion and the other dumbfounded in shock. The final rays of the sun glided slowly off Eragon's back as he stared at his normally level-headed friend. He searched his friend's eyes, trying to comprehend where her anger was coming from.

"Nasuada." Eragon said slowly, "What's wrong? You're not yourself today. You're accusing me of things that I cannot control. Getting someone to open takes time, especially if you want to be in good relations to that, you know that."

She looked at him, her eyes trying to tell a story that he couldn't seem to grasp.

"Please Nasuada, Thalia is more than a half-breed: She's her own self. Thalia has probably experienced more trauma than most her age. She is first and foremost my student whom I love and want to protect and if I have to disobey you to ensure her wellbeing, then so be it."

"… Of course… You're right… I know that what you say is true…" Nasuada sat down in her chair, head in hands, "I'm sorry Eragon, I'm not myself today and should not have contacted you in this state, I should have consulted with Elva… Please excuse me… Until next time Eragon."

The mirror cleared, leaving Eragon to stare at his reflection in his cold dark office.


	19. Worst Fears

_Little one, what are you doing?_

"She just yelled at me for no apparent reason and I'm going to demand that she explains herself to me!" Eragon marched over to his bookcase, opened a book and poured out the jewels hidden inside, "Something has to be wrong if she is like that and if it's war or another half-breed, I need to know."

Saphira shifted in her spot on top of the tree, still catching the last of the sun's rays, _Do you think that's wise? She did say that she wasn't herself, maybe that's all it is._

Eragon paused to consider, then continued placing the jewels in his Farseeing mirror, "But what if it's something important that she doesn't want me to know. She's the kind of person who would try to conceal things from me unless it's vital."

 _Alright then,_ Saphira yawned, _As long as you think this is the right thing to do then I shall do nothing to stop you. Shall I inform Evander and Hal-Furish that you will not be accompanying me today?_

"Please do, and thank you Saphira."

 _You're welcome little one, just don't blame me if you get bitten by your actions._

Eragon looked at the Farseeing mirror again, it had been awhile since he had to cast the spell himself, "Atra edtha hórna, sjon un thorta eom thorna unin Urû'baen medh thornessa Ilumëo Malmr nen ono eru thar.*"

The mirror rippled then cleared to reveal Nasuada's office. The queen sat so close to the mirror during her talks with him that Eragon never got a good look its surroundings before. The walls were covered in tapestries from different tribes, villages, and races of Alagaësia from her coronation to the throne with bookshelves scattered between the works of art. Before him was her desk, covered in papers and ink bottles which, he assumed, was the result from the Races negotiations she had been revising for the past four months. The thick wooden door that lead from her office was slightly ajar, letting the torch light from the hall to brighten the area that was missed by the lamps dotted around the office.

Eragon frowned and looked around the room again. His spell did not allow contact unless there was someone in the room, "Nasuada? Are you there?"

"No. Lady Nightstalker is gone, but I am here Shadeslayer."

An old woman appeared before the mirror. Though the years of peace had not been kind to her, there was no mistaking the bored world-weary voice and sharp purple eyes that stared at him in the mirror.

"Elva." Eragon bowed his head out of respect and responsibility to the once witch-child, "Where is Nasuada?"

The purple eyes rolled in their sockets, "It is in the evening here in the black castle, my lady has gone to eat with her numerous guest and challengers."

"Ah, I had forgotten about that."

"You tend to forget a lot of things Shadeslayer. What is it you seek? I shall do my best to entertain you while we wait for the Lady."

"Are we at war? Or has another half-breed turned up? Nasuada is pushing me to get more information from Thalia in such a way that is unnatural for her. Do you know what's going on?"

Elva stared at him for an uncomfortable moment then laughed, "No, Shadeslayer, none of those things you have described have happened. It is easy for anyone to see why Nasuada is acting this way to the Halfling."

Eragon frowned, not amused, "It may be easy for you Elva, the one who can see into the pains of all, but not me. If it is so easy for you to see, then tell me?"

"Why should I tell you when you are already looking at it?"

"You're the reason why Nasuada is being unnaturally demanding?"

"No, you stupid Rider. Look at me. What am I?"

"A grouchy old woman who has no respect for her elders? Someone who knows too much?" Eragon crossed his arms, "I don't have time to play your games Elva, either you tell me or go and fetch Nasuada."

The old woman sat down on the desk, crumpling papers beneath her, "Oh Eragon. The truth is so simple when you see me. The Lady Nightstalker is afraid of growing old and not completing the foundational tasks that are placed upon her. Thalia is a strand that she is unwilling to wait for time to tie into place."

"What? Afraid of growing old? Nasuada? No, that can't be right. Nasuada isn't even considered old!"

"And yet there are daily reminders that she is growing old." Chuckled Elva, "Wrinkles deepening upon her face, strange aches she's never encountered, seeing me in my wizened state though I am supposed to be in my prime and then there is you," she pointed at him, "Oh Immortal who shall never age nor die by natural causes, look around you! The world is dying and the people whom you left behind are now aging and the next generation is rising beneath you. I would've been part of that generation if it had not been for your spell and the counterspell. I'm sure that I will expire even before Nasuada goes fully gray."

The gravity of what Elva said rang deeply with Eragon's innermost fear. She was right, everyone around him was dying and there was nothing he could do about it. Soon everyone he knows and loves will turn into a lifeless heap that no magic can bring back. The world he grew up in was now completely different and belongs to a generation that he will never meet properly. Nasuada will soon die and Alagaësia will turn in on itself as they try to find a new leader. War will break out again and there was nothing that he could do about it because he has no place in that world anymore. Why does he ev—

 _ERAGON!_

Saphira's mind came rushing into his, enveloping is very being as he gasped with relief. Her cool clear mind soothed his turbulent thoughts, banishing away the numerous scenarios that may never be.

 _Eragon, remember who you are and the reason for the choices you've made. Be calm, little one, and remember what we have laid out before us for the good of Thalia and future half-breeds._

*Let me hear, see and speak to those in Urû'baen with this Truth Metal as you are there.


	20. Immortal Reality

"I may be immortal and I may be a dragon rider, but I was first and foremost a Human. I grew up on a farm knowing that all things live, bloom and die in one way or another. What I have become is just like the Golden Lilies in the northern plains, something that was once defined by death that is now defined by life. I am a new, in-between being who is used to the old facts but is now, still, getting use to the new ones. Doubts still linger, and fear does claw in my chest for the days that will see the end of the mortals whom I love, but that does not mean that I should feel remorse for the cards that were dealt to me by fate, god, demon or whatever you believe. Death may not have a firm grip on me anymore with Father Time, but I still remember the days of the slaughterhouse on both the farm and the battlefield and thinking that one day, my time will come to an end.

Since death has been replaced with life, then it is my new responsibility to remember the past so that the future may remember my mistakes and learn from them. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't regret what I did to you out of ignorance and a rushed decision, and I am determined that none of my students will ever have to make that mistake if I can help it. My teaching process may be slow but it insures that my students are learning according to how they retain knowledge so that, if they must make a quick decision, they will not be scrabbling for knowledge I've provided them. This is the main reason why I am taking so long in getting Thalia's past because I want this to be done right the first time instead of potentially having an entire new species turn against us because I needed to satisfy someone's time schedule."

As his monologue ended, Eragon took in a shuddering breath of relief and closed his eyes for a moment. His explanation was everything he needed to, not only express why he was taking things slow, but also to put an end to his tormenting thoughts about death. Opening his eyes again, he met the purple eyes of Elva, who was still sitting on the desk, "Well? Will that satisfy Lady Nasuada?"

The old woman shrugged and pushed herself gently onto the ground, "I have no idea, I just made up the fact that she was fearing her old age, though it is something she thinks about a lot. She's just in a life transition and has been a bit moody for the past few months: making unreasonable demands, eating a lot, crying for no reason, temperature swings, you know."

"What?!"

"I may not be able to feel the things you fear anymore Shadeslayer, but I figured with your tendency to overthink things, you still hadn't found the right definition of who you are now. So, instead of just saying that, I decided to see if you had gotten over your mortal tendencies, which it seems like you have." She smirked, "May I suggest that you apply to what you learned here to whatever you've planned for the half-breed? And, as always Eragon Shadeslayer, it is a pleasure talking with you."

And with that, Elva walked out of the room causing Eragon's spell to end leaving him to stare at his open mouth exasperation of what just happened.

 _That Elva really is something else,_ said Saphira as she landed carefully onto the balcony, _she really had no real idea of what your deepest fear was but was able to guess it, get you to confront it and then vocalize it in front of her._

Eragon turned to face her, allowing his confusion, relief and bewilderment to show on his face, causing the blue dragon to chuckle.

 _Don't be like that Eragon, be thankful that she was able to put that fear to bed for you and move on to the next fear you have if you would like._

Eragon laughed and rubbed his face as he approached her, "I think I'm done with tackling fears for the time being but it is nice to have that closed."


	21. When The Amulet Falls

Btharna yawned and repositioned himself, allowing the early morning round heat to touch more of his sword-shattering scales and to shake the morning-droplet-water forming on his cold white body. Why these two-legged creatures got up at such unholy hours to train was beyond him but since his Queen-of-his-being was the one ordered to get up at the unholy hour by not-so-round-ear Master Eragon to train with the pointy-eared Alanna, it was his duty to join them. His eyes threatened to close under the new conditions he positioned himself and would've closed them if he had grown up in a perfect world… But he hadn't, so he kept one eye open as he watched Thalia shift from one battle sword position to the next.

"Good Thalia!" prompted the not-so-human, "Now plant your feet more firmly on the ground when you thrust to give it more power!"

Thalia nodded, shifted her position and completed the poking the imaginary-air-enemy along with Alanna, salty-droplet-water starting to form on her brow.

"Good morning Btharna!" the voice of two-legged-mother-of-everyone Keira reached him before her legs came into his view. "Strange to see you up at this hour, are you watching over Thalia or are you interested in learning sword positions?"

He nodded, reaching out his mind-thought-voice towards her. Despite his first impression of her, Btharna loved Keira in a way that he couldn't explain with words. She let him in when many shied away from his accidental mind barb that he had thought he had to use to be heard.

As he entered her mind, he hummed with pleasure as her warm and friendly mind melody wrapped around him like a hug, _Why would I need to learn the sword when I was born with swords on my paws?_

 _I guess that is true,_ Keira motioned with her hands, silently asking if she could sit on the this-time-soft-ground next to him and did so when receiving his nod, _I guess making a sword your size would be hard to do anyway._

 _I also see no point to what they are doing with their weapons right now, just poking at the air when they could be fighting each other. It just seems silly and a waste of time for Alanna._

Keira laughed, _That's what I thought when I first did it with Xavier but, as Master Eragon explained, it's counterproductive to face each other while first learning basic thrusts but it's always nice to have a friend to do it with. He always does sword practice in groups of two, I guess to promote companionship? Xavier and I are decent friends right now, though he and Kamaria are now almost inseparable whenever they're not training._

 _They don't train together then?_

 _Heaven forbid they train together! I think Master Eragon would go crazy if they were together with him! We're still paired up in the original four we were paired with, Kamaria came to Breoal Abr Shur'tugal four years later with Alanna, Evander, and Dwalic._

Btharna looked at her quizzically, _If Master Eragon keeps everyone in their original pairings, why isn't Thalia with Galahad today? Aren't they our partners?_

"Hmmmmm…." The white dragon felt the subtle vibration from Keira as his thought puzzled her, _I honestly have no idea. From the pattern, Galahad should be Thalia's partner since he's the only one who doesn't have a study partner since he came to us by himself._

 _Just like Thalia and I?_

 _Yep. Galahad's situation was never explained to us when he came but I suppose it was because he was so young when he became a Rider that the Elves didn't know what to do with him._ _Why not ask Master Eragon? I'm sure he wouldn't mind, it seems like they're taking a quick break._

Btharna looked back at the training session and sure enough, Thalia and Alanna were sitting down and gathering the morning-water-droplets from around them through while Master Eragon pulled out three cups for them to put it in. The dragon hesitated, he didn't normally use his mind-thought-voice on anyone else except for Keira and the occasional inclusive conversation with Aeliana but with Keira's prompting, he extended his mind-thought-voice and slowly pressed against Master Eragon's shield.

 _Btharna-finiarel,_ Master Eragon's mind was like entering a storage-paper-flammable-book library that vibrated with deep melodic notes, _It's been a while since you've entered my mind, what's going on?_

 _Master Eragon-elda, why has Thalia's training partner changed from Galahad to Alanna? Keira-vora said that you normally keep everyone with their original partners._

 _Yes, that is the typical way I like to keep my students, but Thalia is clearly older than Galahad by a few years and in the art of combat, it's better to train them with the someone closer to their height for the basics and Alanna agreed to take on that role._

 _But they're just poking at the air with flimsy swords._

 _This is Thalia's third session with a sabre, so we've been going through basic thrusts and foot placement before actual combat. It's also pretty early in the morning, so I wanted to let them wake up and warm up a bit so we can avoid clenched muscles. The point of this sword method is to work on Thalia's foot placement since she tends to become easily off balanced due to lack of proper body placement. They're going to take the moves I just had them practice and use it on themselves once they've rested a bit._

The dragon thanked him and retreated to his own head. Just as he did so, Master Eragon requested for the two two-legged females to begin to spar. Queen-of-his-being Thalia and pointy-eared Alanna faced each other and bowed, though neither took their eyes away from the other.

"Begin!" Shouted Master Eragon and the two began the slow dance of anticipation, each preparing oneself to either attack or defend accordingly.

As much as Btharna hated the activities that he couldn't do with Thalia, it was amazing to see the subtle transformation that came over her in the heat of combat that she had developed over their months at Breoal Abr Shur'tugal. Her face loses its unreadable look and is replaced by intense focus that would be either followed up by pleasure as she wins a fight or disappointment if she lost. Btharna wondered if that was just a coincidence or if Galahad's expressive body language had made an impression on his queen.

He felt the gentle touch of Keira's mind-thought-voice on his barriers and let them down so she could enter.

 _Thalia seems happier when she's fighting,_ she commented, surprising Btharna on her attentiveness, _see how she smiles slightly whenever she catches Alanna off guard?_

 _I was just thinking that myself,_ admitted the dragon, _Do you think Galahad's expressive presence have anything to do with this?_

 _Maybe… He is a very energetic fourteen-year-old, I find that I sometimes pick up his expressions because I find them fun—Ooh! That was a good thrust by Alanna!_

Btharna turned his attention back to the sparring match. Because Alanna was one of the pointy-eared Elves, she had the upper hand in the combat with her quick movements though Thalia's feints were expertly achieved whenever she had a moment from defending. A bright flash drew his eyes to the amulet that she always wore around her neck. Because of the movements she had to accomplish, the amulet bounced up and down on its old leather strap, making it a distraction to the onlookers.

Just as he was going to make a comment about it, however, Btharna watch as Alanna's sabre flicked into view and caught on the leather strap, causing it to halt for a second before continuing its upward motion, breaking the strap in half.

Btharna roared in agony while the other people present clutched their heads in agony as mental barbs attacked their minds, making it impossible for them to do anything else but fall to the ground under the strength of the attack. The mental attack seemed to last forever as Btharna coward beneath his barriers, glad that Keira had taught him the basics of how to mentally protect himself. Finally, the attack ended and Btharna looked up. Thalia stood all along in the middle of the clearing, at her feet were Alanna and Master Eragon, still clutching their heads from the mental attack. Her red eyes were huge as she stared at him, though he didn't think she was seeing anything since she didn't register the look of pain in his eyes. Her body shook with fear.

He got up, wanting to get close to her but before he could take a step towards her, Thalia collapsed, joining Master Eragon and Alanna on the ground.


	22. Aftermath

_Eragon, are you alright?!_

 _Master!_

 _Ebrithil, I was just attacked!_

 _Eragon-vodhr!_

 _Shadeslayer, what is happening?!_

Eragon groaned as he struggled into a sitting position, his head buzzing with numerous voices from around Breoal Abr Shur'tugal. After his head cleared and he rebuilt his mind barriers to deaden the cacophony of minds, he looked around the clearing. All living things were affected by the attack. Ants were wondering in aimless circles, small creatures passed out on the ground, those who unfortunately fell from a great height lay still among the knocked out and even the plants had brown edges around their green sprouts. Alanna and Keira were passed out on the ground, their even breaths reassuring Eragon of their wellbeing for the moment. Btharna mewled next to Keira, the attack had left him shaken and confused.

His attention slowly landed on Thalia, who lay passed out in the middle of a dead patch of grass. With a grunt, Eragon got up and slowly approached the downed figure until he was able to crouch next to her. After checking to see if there was any physical harm done to his student, Eragon started to search for the amulet that had fallen off in the sparring match, which wasn't hard to find since Thalia was laying right on top of it.

At first glance, the amulet was simple: a diamond cut jade stone in a copper fitting, but as he looked longer, Eragon started to notice strange lettering running the copper fitting that formed words that would look like the Ancient language at a glance but would become gibberish when he focused on just one.

 _That looks like some of the writings from the tunnels underneath Dras-Leona._ commented Saphira huffily.

 _Indeed, but I thought that this was a dead language._

 _Not entirely. Remember, Angela the Herbalist was able to read some of those passages on the wall._

 _True, but there is no dead language in Angela's case._

 _Ok, now that we've gotten that out of the way, WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED ERAGON?!_

Eragon winced at the mental wave that his dragon sent his way. He realized that while trying to figure out what happened, he was so focused that it repaired his mental walls to the point where no one could contact him. _I'm sorry for blocking you out Saphira, I was just trying to figure out what was happening myself… I still have no idea what exactly happened: Thalia's pendant fell off and, what I'm assuming is Thalia's mind, attacked us… But if it was just a simple mind attack, why were so many affected?_

 _I felt her attack through my barriers and I'm a distance away. Is Thalia still passed out?_

 _Yeah._

 _Can you try to touch her mind now?_

Eragon reached out and sensed a life force that he had never felt before, one full of painful notes and heart aching melody that his eyes filled instantly with tears. It sounded like the melody was trying to stabilize itself but then painful notes would cause a discord, almost making the melody fall apart. He backed off of her, reaching for the pendant and picking it up, _She's there, then that means that the amulet does have some spell that hides her life energy, thus explaining why we can't 'feel' her with our minds. I don't want to intrude on her mind though, it sounds like it could break at any moment._ Eragon waited for Saphira's response to this revelation. When she wasn't forthcoming with a response he repeated himself, tossing the amulet up in the air.

 _Erago—_ He caught the amulet and waited for her to continue but again, she fell silent.

 _You ca—_ Eragon caught the amulet again and, again, she fell silent.

He tossed it again, frustrated at the game she was playing.

 _PUT IT DOWN YOU ID—_ Saphira was cut off again and Eragon realized that the spell was working on him when the amulet touched his skin. He quickly threaded the amulet back onto its leather strap and put it back on Thalia, sensing her energy disappear as he apologized to Saphira profusely.

 _You really forgot what the amulet did in the middle of explaining what it does to me?_ Saphira huffed, _How on earth did you become a teacher?_

 _By default, and a lot of misadventures with a dragon named Saphira._

Saphira chuckled, _I'll give you that one. Also, the elders are gathering in your office, they're very concerned with what happened and I think it might be important that you give them some answers._


	23. Master and Student

The subconscious had always been a terrifying place for Keira. Sleep had never been a good thing for her ever since she could remember. Her mind wouldn't allow her to rest and when she tried to get out of a dream, her body would stop working even though she tried to command her muscles to move and they wouldn't move until daylight hit her or someone forcefully shook her awake. Some nights she would just stay awake from the fear of experiencing her unmoving body again. Her family never truly understood why she was such an angry girl when she was little, how could they when they were traveling all the time with their group of wandering merchants and they were all tired as she was? When she first communicated to her dragon about these paralysis episodes, Aeliana was able to sometimes encourage Keira's body to respond to her commands again and, if that didn't work, to stay awake with her and allow her to see through her eyes if her panic became too strong, the first actual step towards easing her nighttime terrors. The day Keira first experienced the Vakna Slytha of the elves over eight years ago in during her five-year training in Ellesméra was the last day she experienced those episodes. She never understood why, because they had almost the same feel but the Vakna Slytha allowed her to awaken without the fear of having her body disobey her.

When Keira awoke from being unconsciousness, it was like she was plunged back to eight years ago and panic settled in as she tried desperately to move her body. She could feel the sun on her face, the grass beneath her and saw the blue sky above her but her body refused to allow her to raise a limb.

 _AELIANA! AELIANA PLEASE! I CAN'T MOVE! OH STARS, AELIANA HELP ME!_

 _Keira?_ Aeliana's warm mind melted into her panic, assessing her rider's predicament, _Oh stars above… Keira, calm down for a second, your body will move again, we know this from the past. Take a deep breath and let's think about something else, ok? I'm on my way, I'll be there soon._

Aeliana's presence in her mind helped Keira a bit but it had been so long since her last episode that the panic did not stay away for long as tears started to stream down her face uninterrupted.

 _Please make it stop. Please… Please…_

A large hand hovered over her as cold fingers pressed into her temples. For a moment, Keira thought that her paralysis was taking a new turn when the deep notes of Master Eragon's mind entered hers.

 _Keira? Are you alright?_

 _Master… I'm frozen… I can't move… I want to move, I NEED to move,_ Keira sobbed.

 _Did Thalia's mind do this to you? I don't feel any damage to your brain though I'm going to feel down your spine to see if there is any damage._

 _No,_ Aeliana's mind melody melded with Eragon's, creating a song of calm that soothed Keira's troubled mind, _She use to suffer from this before when she slept like a human, Master. Her body is refusing to move and will not let up until it decides to._

 _I see… If that is really the cause, it will take me one moment to find the right words. Relax Keira and keep breathing, this is going to be resolved, alright?_

 _Alright…_

Master Eragon's mind left hers, leaving Aeliana to sooth her troubled mind. The moments that Eragon deliberated what words to use seemed like an hour to her but finally she heard him clear his throat and say, "Losna du thrífa abr né sharjalví arúnd du kona."* And then he touched her temples again.

Starting from her head, Keira began to feel Master Eragon's magic flow through her body like a tingling wave. It took a moment, but her body soon allowed her mind to take control of her body and Keira pushed herself off the ground and stared at her master's quirked smile of relief before a sob escaped her throat and she plunged into his arms without a thought. She hugged Master Eragon tightly as tears of relief coursed down her face. She would've stayed there until her trembling stopped, however…

 _Keira, you really should let go of Master Eragon… You're soaking his tunic with your tears…_

Horrified, Keira pushed herself away from him and she saw the wet spots of tears and snot marking her master's normally spotless tunic, "I'm so sorry Master! I'll clean your tunic for you, I was just so relieved to ge—"

"No need to apologize, Keira." Laughed Master Eragon, "You were pretty terrified to experience something that hasn't happened to you for a while." He got up, "Luckily for you, I have experienced something like that before during a very long harvesting season back a Carvahall, our local healer called it a Night Terror. Take a moment before you get up, I'm going to see to Alanna."

Keira stared after Eragon, her respect for him increased every time he did something that was technically beneath his position as a teacher. His kindness towards all his students no matter what they did was more than any of her human or älfakyn teachers ever extended. She guessed that it came from the fact that since he had such a rushed and rough training during the Great Resistance that he must have designed his teaching style around what he wished he had had time for when he was first learning.

 _Master Eragon is something else…_ commented her dragon softly as Keira watched him help Alanna up from the ground.

 _He sure is…_

 _Just as a reminder, he is si—_

 _Nope, I'm going to stop you right there. You keep those thoughts to yourself, thank you._

Her dragon chuckled as she landed in the clearing. Master Eragon and Alanna made their way over to them, Eragon carefully carrying Thalia in his arms while Alanna murmured things to him that he either nodded or shook his head to.

"Keira, are you feeling better?" He gently put Thalia on the ground and clasped Keira's face with his hands, muttering a few words in the Ancient Language, "Your face is a bit red but that could be a result from the panic you experienced earlier."

 _Completely different to be honest,_ commented Aeliana privately, _But we'll go with that._

"I'm fine Master," Keira shook her head out of his hands, "I was just shaken by the Night Terror, that's all."

Master Eragon nodded, "Well then if you're sure, could you please take Thalia back to her room with Alanna while Btharna and I head over to my office? The elders and I need to discuss what happened and out to proceed from here regarding Thalia."

*Release the Grasp of no movement over the woman


	24. A Meeting of Elders

Eragon inhaled deeply outside his office, mentally preparing himself for the uncomfortable meeting he was going to face for the next few hours. If there was one thing he had learned during his time as the temporary head of the Varden, it was that political leaders and heads of races want their voices heard, no matter how many people are in the meeting with them. The thought of having to explain what happened when he had no definite answers made him want to turn away until he had them.

 _You know that they won't be satisfied even if you had the right answers,_ commented Saphira from the safety of their privet quarters, _Get in there, listen to what the elders have to say and then get back to finding the actual answers._

 _Easy for you to say._ Huffed Eragon as he pushed open the door. _You're not the one who has to deal with them._

Ten eyes instantly focused on him the moment he entered the room, making him wish that he hadn't opened the door. Each of the Dragon Rider races had at least one representative in Breoal Abr Shur'tugal, as per the agreement that Eragon and Arya set with the race leaders when they decided the current way of training. They were mainly there to ensure that their Riders, who usually get chosen young, are educated in their culture, ensure that certain customs are upheld and that they have someone from their race to talk with. The elders sat to each side of the office, creating a semicircle around his desk. The walk to his desk was very uncomfortable as all eyes followed him to his seat. As usual, the werecat Grithen sat on top of his desk in cat form and instantly repositioned herself in his lap the instant he sat down.

"Gentlemen, Lady. I believe you have some questions for me about what happened this morning, but I shall start off by saying that I don't guarantee that the answers about this mind… pressure may satisfy anyone but I will try to give all the answers I can."

"Mind pressure?" Snorted the human elder Kenthen, a middle-aged man with gray around his temples and the newest elder on Breoal Abr Shur'tugal, "You mean mind attack! I have never felt anything like that since the last time I offered to help train the young Riders on mind probing."

"I agree with Kenthen," Urgal Kluv the Scholar raised his chin towards the man, "That was no pressure since I was able to feel it even under my barriers."

Kenthen nodded to Kluv, "But let's start with this Master Eragon: Who or what is responsible for this and what actions are we taking to prevent this again? Was it an actual attack or was it just one of your usual mind exercises that you didn't tell us about?"

Knurlafn Dishta raised her gnarled hand to add, "And before you respond Master Eragon, let me remind you that it is in your favor to tell us everything you know so that we can help you. We are here for the safety of our kind and lineage."

 _Not holding back any questions I see._

 _And you're not here to prevent them from happening Saphira so be quiet a moment so that I can think properly._

 _You would think that after thirty years you would've gained some more respect from these elders._

 _From the elves and Urgals, maybe, but humans and dwarves are a different subject. I could probably be over five hundred and still gain no respect from them._

Eragon cleared his throat, "I understand your concerns Elder Dishta and I will tell you everything that I know currently. To answer your question Elder Kenthen, this was not an exercise by one of my students nor was it an actual attack but an accident that happened this morning."

"What do you mean by 'accident'?"

"It means exactly as it sounds Elder Dishta. This morning I was training Alanna and Thalia this morning when an accidental sword stroke by Alanna caused an amulet of unknown nature to fall off Thalia, resulting in the mind pressure. We'r-"

"So, the half-breed is responsible for this?"

"Yes, Elder Kenthen, we're stil—"

"And what does this amulet do?"

"Currently we don't know what the amulet does Elder Kluv but I—"

"Are we going to be attacked again by her?"

"I cannot answer that question right no—"

"So, we could be attacked again."

"No, I'm not saying that Dishta. If you woul—"

"How do we, as nonmagical people, prepare for another attack?"

"The same as you always do, now please let me—"

"We do protect our minds but that was unlike anything we've ever felt. We need answers Eragon!"

 _These people have no patience, do they? They want answers and yet they keep interrupting._

Eragon glanced down at Grithen, who was licking her paw as she listened to the rambling of the three elders, _And they all wonder why I like to have one on one meetings with them. Are you going to tell them your opinion of them?_

 _No, but he is._

At that moment, the elf Elach* waved his hand to stop the argument. Being the eldest in the room, Elach commanded the respect that Eragon could only dream about. His nearly translucent skin and long white hair made him look more like a spirit than an actual corporeal being but because of that, all stopped to listen to his light voice. "I believe that we are forgetting what the master said at the beginning of this meeting. He came here as fast as he could so that we could gain some information on the situation. As a result, he can only give us what his plan is, but we cannot hear this plan unless we choose to listen." Elach nodded to Eragon, "Let him speak so that we may be informed."

Eragon bowed to the elf, grateful for the interjection that caused the others to fall silent, "Thank you Elder. As I did say, I do not have a full grasp of the situation, as I was the closest to Thalia during the incident, I was knocked unconscious for a few moments from the sheer force of Thalia's mind so it is safe to assume that the amulet I mentioned has a powerful spell that represses all mental abilities that she may possess. Thalia is currently unconscious and is being taken back to her room as we speak by Keira and her dragon. My plan, for the moment, is to let Thalia understand what her situation is, to try to convince her to either examine her memories or her amulet so I can get a better understanding of her mind and to work with her to get her mind under control. What I would like is for the cooperation of the elders to help keep the truth about the situation to us and the riders until I can find a more permanent solution for Thalia."

"That's a lot of trusts you're putting into this half-breed letting you do things."

Grithen turned her slanted eyes towards Kenthen, _Well, do you have a better idea human?_

"I do actually werecat. Don't give the half-breed a choice in the matter. For the protection of others, we need her to get herself under control or it will be the downfall of those who can't protect their minds as well as others."

 _Then let's also add to the Master's plan and train the others in combating mind attacks._

Kenthen stood up in rage and pointed at Grithen, "I do not need your sarcasm Cat! Master Eragon was knocked out by that thing! Some of us were lucky enough to be a mile away when it happened but even then, we were astounded by the force of her mind!"

"That is a concern of mine as well Master Eragon," Dishta added, "What if someone did get hurt by her attack? What would her mind do to them? An elf's mind is already known to be a place that can kill a man's potential, what would a half-breed's mind do?"

"I don't know!" shouted Eragon, putting his head in his hands. The room went silent as the elders all looked at their leader. As silence reigned, Eragon's mind whirled with emotions, plans, and memories. The whole meeting was causing more and more issues to appear in his mind and as he tried to organize each thought, Garven's face, the man who lost his mind examining Blodhgarm's mind, kept adding to his fear of what he must eventually do to Thalia.

"Master?"

Eragon looked up and sighed, "I understand everyone's concern. I am trying my best to control this situation as quickly as possible but there is one thing that keeps me from forcing Thalia into giving me what I want and that is the fact that we need her to be on our side. Half-breeds are now apart of our world, could you imagen what would happen if I did something to her to make her upset? Not only would we have a renegade Rider on our hands but think of what the other Half-breeds might do, if they're out there that is. They could potentially follow her in doing anything. Also, as Dishta kindly pointed out, we don't know what her mind can do to mine. I can't blindly go into her mind and risk losing mine. As hard as it is Kenthen, I need to treat Thalia like I'm trying to cross a newly frozen over lake, I don't know how much weight I can put down on her before she breaks. I will try to warn you all to protect your minds if it ever happens again and pray to one of your gods that it will be easier than the last one."

The elders stared at Eragon who was slouched over the table in tired defeat. After a few moments, Kenthen voice muttered through his beard, "If that is the best you can give us Master, then I shall go along with it. I didn't mean to sound rash, I'm just worried for the rest of my kind here."

"As are we all Kenthen, and I'm sorry that the only thing you can do is protect yourself and wait."

"Like a pack stalking prey, we must all wait for our leader to strike first." Kluv stood up and put his fist to his chest, "We shall wait for your move Master."

Eragon nodded in thankfulness as Kluv's announcement caused the other elders to nod in silent agreement and slowly join Kluv out the door.

 _That was a messy meeting,_ Grithen commented as the last elder left, _I'm sure that Kenthen was on the brink of mutiny but he did understand the risk of being an elder here so he'll just have to get over it._

 _This whole situation should not have happened in the first place. I think I'm going to convince Thalia to replace her leather strap with a chain._

 _A good idea._ Grithen bopped Eragon's chin with her head, _You did well Master, I'm proud if that's any consolation._

Eragon smiled and stroked her head, _It is. Thank you, my friend._

The pressure of the meeting and the warm morning sun soon lulled Eragon into a light slumber. His problems were still there in his mind but they existed only in passing as warmth soothed them away.

 _Master?_

 _Yes, Keira._

 _I was taking Thalia to her room and… Well… I found Galahad… He's on the ground unconscious… I can't wake him up…_

*Please note that the "ch" in this name is pronounced like the German "ch" as in "mach".


	25. The State of Minds

After some intense thought, Keira decided that there must be some sort of being that was determined to give Master Eragon a headache. Ever since she started as a dragon rider, she had always heard whispers around Ellesmira that the First New Age Dragon Rider didn't receive as much respect that his elven counterparts commanded. At first, she didn't believe them but when she finally was allowed to cross the ocean with her dragon, she understood why that may be. Though Eragon was supposed to be in his late 60's, he still appeared to be in his early 20's and since he didn't have that elvish flare that Master Arya possessed, he did seem to pale in comparison.

 _And here I am, just adding to his problems_ She bemoaned to Aeliana as she placed Galahad into an infirmary bed next to Thalia. After debating with Master Eragon, they both determined that the infirmary was the best place to keep the two limp bodies while he tried to patch things up with the New Age Elders.

Aeliana snorted from outside the building, _Have you ever tried to sit in on a meeting with the New Age Elders? Believe me, you're probably one of his lesser headaches compared to them._ _Don't you think it would've been an even bigger problem for the master if we hadn't found Galahad? Imagen how much trouble he would be in if one of his students went missing? And since his mind is so faint, it would've taking him a lot longer to find him._ _In a way, we are lessening his problems by being here with both of them and ensuring that they are alive, so at least find the good in that thought._

Keira sighed as she flopped onto a nearby empty bed, _I shall try to find comfort in that Aeliana but with the tensions that were created by Thalia when she first joined, I'm sure that even this will just be a small bandage on a bigger wound that I made worse with making Dwalic almost impossible to handle, passing out and having a 'Night Terror' before his meeting with the Elders._

 _Whatever you say. But to be clear, this isn't really your problem. You can't go around and think that you can worry about everyone else's problem like they are your own, the stress will kill you to no end._

 _I know, but I can't help but want to help Master Eragon in any way possible, even if it is just small things._

Through their bound, Keira could feel Aeliana's mind turn sad briefly, _And it isn't because of that, I've always been a worrying mother to those I know._

 _I know, Small One... I just don't want you to forget what's in front of you, that's all._

Keira sat up in the bed and gazed at the two young Riders, _I see a puzzle in front of me Aeliana. I understand why Thalia is knocked out; the energy that it must've taken to emit such a strong mental breach but everyone in the clearing is now awake and doing well but Galahad is still knocked out_.

 _We did find him next to his usual "Open Mind" stump. Perhaps he was doing a daily emptying of his mind when Thalia's amulet fell off_.

Keira gasped, "That has to be it Aeliana!"

Aeliana hummed smugly, _You'll have to work harder to make me stumped._

 _At least now we can be useful to Master and give him some speculation on what happ..._ Keira's thoughts trailed off as a cold hand grasped her heart, _Aeliana... What if Galahad's mind... is... damaged...?_

The dragon cocked her head, _How so?_

 _If what we said is true, then Galahad would've been unprotected from the accident, meaning that he would've gotten the full brunt of Thalia's mind. What if his mind is hurt or even under attack by Thalia's thoughts even now?! What if he turns into that guard that Master always mentioned during his speech on mind probing, the one who entered an elve's mind and was placed in a perpetual state of daydream?_

 _Well, we have no idea how to check that without entering Galahad's mind._ Aeliana held Keira's thoughts in hers, _Don't you dare enter his thoughts without the Master's permission. As you said, we have no idea what's happening inside his mind. What if you're right and Galahad is under a lot of stress because of the attack? You can't risk making it worse by going around inside yourself. Just wait until Master Eragon comes, he'll know what to do._

Keira stared at Galahad's limp form, _Alright, I understand... I just wish that I could be more useful to Master Eragon than just piling on his woes. He deserves to have a break._

 _I keep telling you, a surprise cup of tea goes a long way in multiple directions._

Keira rolled her eyes, _Oh sure, like a cup of tea is going to help Master Eragon this instant._

 _You never know, at the very least it will increase your chances with-_

"I sware, if I hadn't lied to the Elders about a personal lesson starting, I would've never gotten out of that meeting."

Keira quickly got off the bed as Master Eragon pushed open the door to the infirmary. She could see that the meeting had probably been as Aeliana had described it: A headache.

"Master! I'm glad you're here, I'm really worried about both of their mental states and-"

Master Eragon put up a hand to stop her verbal onslaught as he sat down on the same bed she had been on, "One second please Keira, I need a moment to think and file everything away in my head."

Keira closed her mouth and nodded. He gave her a smile and closed his eyes which now had heavy bags which Keira assumed was a result of the stressful Elder meeting.

 _You're staring at him..._

Keira looked away, _No I wasn't, I was just thinking about how stressed he must be and I wasn't focusing on anything._

Aeliana snorted, _Sure, we'll call it that if it makes you happy. Now, how about some tea?_


	26. In the Mind (updated)

Eragon sighed as strands of random thoughts and memories floated in and out of his subconscious. The events that had happened this morning had been so rapid that he had forgotten to properly process and file all the information he had been given. Now his mind was so loud with his restless thoughts that he was worried that his thoughts might not be focused when he inspected the two unconscious minds in front of him.

 ** _"We need her to get herself under control or it will be the downfall of those who can't protect their minds as well as others!"_** Eragon could see Kenthen's face clearly in his mind, brows furrowed with frustration and worry. He held the memory for a moment, letting it freeze as a mental fairth as he studied it, then let it drift away into its proper category in his mind, _Elder Kenthen isn't capable with magic, just like most of the guests here. His frustration comes from a point of the inability to protect or help in this matter._

 _On the other hand,_ Eragon frowned as another memory floated in, _"_ _ **Let me remind you that it is in your favor to tell us everything you know so that we can help you. We are here for the safety of our kind and lineage."**_ _Dishta is slowly becoming a problem. Questioning and making strange comments as if she is the leader of the Elders… I'll just have to think about that another time…_

He continued in this manner: addressing every passing thought and memory that was floating around his mind since this morning until each was properly filed away. He could feel the chaotic notes leave his mind melody and the calming atmosphere that he worked so hard to maintain once again took over.

"Ebrithil…?"

Eragon breathed in and opened his eyes, welcoming the sight of a cup filled with steaming tea and a very nervous Keira.

"I made tea while I waited… I didn't know if you wanted any but… It's here if you want some…"

He smiled, standing up from the bed, "Thank you Keira, I may have some after I'm done."

The young Rider nodded sharply and put the cup down while Eragon headed over to Galahad. The boy seemed peaceful while he lay on the bed with normal breathing patterns and good complexion in his cheeks. Using his right hand, Eragon gently touched the temples of Galahad's head and slowly entered his mind.

 ** _"My child should've been the Dragon Rider, not some-!"_**

Eragon yelled as he wrenched his hand away, cutting off memories of pain and verbal abuse. The force at which he flung himself away caused him to tumble to the floor next to the bed.

"Master!" Keira once again popped into his vision, "Are you alright? Why did you yell?"

"I'm fine… Just surprised is all… Caught off guard with…" His words trailed off as he tried to understand what was going on. In general, every Rider who resided in Breoal Abr Shur'tugal underwent a brief background check conducted by himself. Though he had done Galahad's years ago, those memories were not the ones he remembered seeing.

"Master! Look at Galahad!"

Eragon scrambled off the floor and stared at the boy. Galahad's face had contorted, as if he was experiencing extreme pain. Tears began to flow and started to drip into the clean sheets beneath him. But just as soon as Eragon was looking, the tears stopped and, once again, Galahad's face returned to a calm resting state.

"What happened Master?" Keira's voice was full of worry, "Is Galahad's mind ok?"

Backing up slowly, Eragon sat back down onto the neighboring infirmary bed, "I don't know Keira… Give me a moment to think."

 _That wasn't Galahad's mind Eragon._ Saphira's familiar mind flowed through his rattled thoughts, soothing and refocusing him.

 _I know, the mind melody was much different, more broken and clashing notes then Galahad's usual light bouncing mind. One second,_ "Keira? Where did you say you found Galahad again?"

"By his usual 'Open Mind' stump. Aeliana and I believe that Galahad may have been meditating before Thalia's accident."

Eragon grabbed his tea and sipped it, looking intently at the young Rider's still form, a thought slowly forming the more he focused on the boy's temples.

 _No._

Tea splashed as Eragon jumped from Saphira's firm response to his barely formed idea. _What do you mean 'No'? It was just an idea._

 _If that was even possible to begin with, how would you plan to solve it?_

 _I don't know… But I do know that there is a simple way to check._

Saphira's displeasure radiated through their linked minds, _Be careful with how you approach this Eragon._

 _As soon as I can write it off, we can continue brainstorming_ , _alright?_

Eragon could feel Saphira's reluctance but still turned to Keira who was still standing off to the side, "I need your help. I need you to place your hands over Galahad's temples and say this spell: Skölir du hugr udir pömnuria Lam*. I'm going to try to check on Galahad's mental state without putting myself inside his mind and causing him more pain as my last probe did. You're going to feel my mind press on your shield and I want you to make it flexible so that it can bend just a little under my weight. If you feel like you can't shield him anymore under my mind, just take your hands off his temples, that should break my contact with his mind as well."

Keira nodded with determination, placed her hands over Galahad's temples and closed her eyes. After a moment, Eragon gently place his hands over hers and slowly reached out his mind towards Galahad's mind again, spreading himself over Keira's shield that surrounded it. Underneath the shield, Eragon could feel the mass of sound and confusion as he did before but now that the pain was muted beneath Keira's shield, he could almost make out different threads of memories and thoughts, like a tangled ball of wool or yarn after a kitten played with it. As he pressed gently into Keira's shield at different points, he could hear muffled music beneath it. The longer he pressed on a certain point however, Eragon soon could hear two different melodies within the mind: One was the clashing notes from before and the other was light and bouncing.

With a sigh, Eragon removed his hands from Keira's, "Alright, you can stop."

The female nodded and released her magic, "Did that make a difference?"

"It did… And it also confirmed a rather impossible cause that is making Galahad experience so much pain."

"Which is…?"

"I think Galahad has Thalia's memories."

*Shield the Mind under my hand


End file.
